Air-cooled internal-combustion engine



Oct. 0, 1 J. M. COLBY 2,51 4

AIR-COOLED INTERNALTCOMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 2, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N vE/vToe LTEIEE H M EUI E-Y,

Oct; 195] J. M. COLBY 2,573,544

AIR-COOLED INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed 001:. 2, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 22 .f i i M 25- 25- 25 I; gvwc/wto o JUEEPHIVLEULEY, I

FROM EXHAUST Oct. 30, 1951 COLBY 2,573,544

AIR-COOLED INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 2, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 LTEIEEFHM- EULEY,

Oct. 30, Y COLBY AIR-COOLED INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Oct. 2, 1946 4 Sheets- Sheet 4 JOSEPH 1%- EULEIY,

Patented Oct. 30, 1951 AIR-GOOLED INTERNAL=CQMBUSTION ENGINE J oseph M. Colby, Grosse Pointe, Mich.

Applicationoctober 2,1946, Serial No. 700,632

(Granted; under; the act of March. 3, .1883, s

amended April 30, 1928; 37.0 0-,, G. 75.7)

10 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manur iactured and used byv or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relatesto internal combustion engines, and particularly. to..multi-cylind,erinternal; combustion engines whose. cylinders and valves are air-cooled by meansiofrfans or blowers.

In order that a multiecylind'er internal combustion engine be. cooled by air,. it is necessary that a large. amount. of: cooling air. be continuously distributed equally: over alliol the exterior surface of each of the cylinders. In addition in order that such cooling be done efficiently and with a minimum expenditure of 'power, it is necessary in producing this required large amount of cooling air that the number offans or blowers be reduced to a minimum, and that the currents of cooling air so produced travel in the line of least resistance, i. e., with a minimum of deflection and through the shortest possible. eiiective distance while still retaining the necessary continuous, equal and thorough distribution of the large amount of cooling air required;

I-Ieretofore the air-cooling of multi-cylinder internal combustion engines involved, for example, the providing of one ormore blowers at the end of the engine: or below the engine, together with deflecting conduits or baflles for deflecting the cooling air to each of the cylinders, or the providing of individual'air, passages encasing each cylinder, together with means for conducting or distributing the cooling airfrom'the blower or blowers to each of the individual air passages, such types of constructionnecessarily involving a relatively longdistance of" travel and also considerable deflection of the cooling air which necessitates theuse of increased horsepower ofthe blowers to overcome the resistance to, theflow of air, as well as occupying space for the cooling apparatus' which could well be, utilized for other purposes.

The object of the present invention broadly is to provide a compactmulti-cylinder internal combustion engine which. is air-cooled, simply and efficiently with a. minimum power requirement consistent with the amount of cooling airrequired.

More specifically the object of the. present invention is. to provide a compact, air-cooled, multicylinder internalncombustion engine, in whichthe number of blowers or fans required for air-cool- .ing, the length of travel of the. cooling air, and

deflection of the cooling .air' arev reduced to, a

In accordancewiththisinvention, theair-cooling of a multi-cylinder internal combustionen; gine is accomplishedsimply and efficientlyby means of one or more. blowers. comprising rotary axial flow fans adjacent, tothe. cylinders and, p0,- sitionedto rotate in a, common. plane parallel to the axis of thercranksha ft with the axis-.of each blower being perpendicular to,-tha,t,..of theorank shaft. Each. blower .is,mounted. on ablqwer shaft which is perpendicular and geared. to. a common auxiliary shaft. which may. be. the camshait, the common auxiliary, shaft. being; parallel .to. the crankshaft and. preferably geared, bntbe belted, thereto. Rotation of the crankshaft supplies thepower for rotation of. the auxiiliary shaft and.v each individualperpendicular:- blower shaft geared thereto and carrying a-blower;

By wayof example, the-following description and drawings,illustratesome embodiments. of the invention: I

Figure 1 is aplarr view of, aV-itype, 12,-.cylinder, air-cooled engine, with, two-rotaryaxial .fiowfans positioned at the. top of the engine, between the two rows ofcyl-indersand illustrating .thepresent invention. v

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same engine, partly broken awayto.showthedrivemechanism of the fans.

Figure 3 is an .end elevation of, the,same-engine, partly broken away;

Figure 4 is. a diagrammatic sideelevation: view of fans in the same engine showing the addition ofcontra vanes adjacentonetype of fan blades.

Figure 5 is a. diagrammatic view of, one of,- the fans showing onetype of fan construction,

Figure 6 is. a plan viewof a horizontally op.- posed or pancake, type engine installation embodying this invention and utilizingone rotary axial fiowfan,v

Figure '7 isa -planvie w-partly broken away. of the engine of Figure (i,--but, showing two .rotar-y axial new fans accordance with this invention.

Figure 8 is an end elevation partly: broken away of the construction shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is; an end elevation or an. X-typeengine installation embodying this invention.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals reier to similar par-ts throughout, Figures l 2 and 3 show an engine wherein two banks of cylinders I and h nce he ualr s n howei' o e in. qrm tion: in e sua manner with crankcase l I covering a orankshaft [5 to which as; usua h c s erns a pelfetiv ly Q nec ed. n -chem) A hrqud; see W shaft II and geared thereto as by bevel gears I9 and 20. Common auxiliary shaft I1 is parallel to crankshaft l5 and geared thereto by gears 2| accordance with this invention are shown in Fig-,

ures 4 and 5.

In Figure 4 a construction employing two'- blowers is shown. Each blower comprises a rotary axial flow fan l4 or M having one set of blades 24. These are suction fans and preferably draw air from across the cooling fins of the cylinders and upward between the shroud openings, as shown by the arrows in Figure 3. If desired, respective sets of stationary contra vanes shown at 25 in Figure 4 directly below blades 24 .may be employed to assure straight line flow when theair is drawn across the cylinders and "upward through the fan, the preferred method of fo'peration, since the natural force of convection {of the heated air will thus assist the movement "of the air upward. If desired, however, the function of the fans l4 and I4 may be reversed, moving the cooling air downward through the fblower and then across the cylinders in opposite 'j'direction to .the arrows of Figure 3, in which case "stationary contra vanes 25 will. be positioned above blades 24. .In Figure 5, and as also shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the axial flow fans may have two sets of blades consisting of an inner set "of'blades 24 for air, and an outer set of blades 23 astips on blades 24, blades 23 being driven turbine fashion by exhaust jets 25a from the engine as shown in Figure 5, thus utilizing the engine :exhaust to supplement the power for driving the fans and reducing the amount of driving power taken directly from the crankshaft, increasing 'theefliciency of operation.

In Figure 6 showing a plan view of horizontally opposed or pancake type of engine embodying the invention, only one blower or rotary axial flow fan is used, and its construction, aswell as the fdrivi ng mechanism, are similar to those above described.

' *"InjFigure 7 showing the same type of engine as in Figure 6, two auxiliary shafts l1 and Ill are shown, one adjacent each row of cylinders, 'for rotation of respective blower shafts H5 and 16, the latter being perpendicular to the axis of the crankshaft. On each blower shaft is mount- ,ed a fan (not shown) adjacent the side of one tothe axis of the crankshaft.

In Figure 8 the arrangement of the fans and blower shafts of the construction of Figure 7 is ;row of cylinders and with its axis perpendicular more clearly shown.

In Figure 9 showing an end elevation of an X-type of engine embodying the invention, construction details are the same as above described fWith other types of engines, except that an auxjiliary shaft I! or II" is required for each two rows of cylinders between which one or more In operation, the course of air flow, shown by the arrows of Figure 3, is inwardly-across the fins of the cylinders to a central space as between the two rows of cylinders of the V-type engine, thence upwardly through the fans between the shroud openings and out, the flow upward being aided by the natural convection of the thus heated air. :Ifdesired, the direction of'flow of air may be in a reverse directionto that shown, as by arranging for rotation of the blowers in an opposite direction, or by utilization of fan blades with opposite pitch. It will thus be seen that the large amount of cooling air required travels a minimum distance with a minimum deflection and at a consequent minimum expenditure of power, combined with'the advantages of a relatively compact construction and with a minimum number of fans necessary.

Because of compactness and low resistance to cooling air flow, this construction is particularly advantageous in connection with a vehicle requiring a submerged installation, for example, a tank;

It will be appreciated that one or more blowers or rotary axial flow fans may be used-as necessitated by the various types of engines for proper cooling consistent withminimum power expenditure and compactness.

Although I have shown; and described certain embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown and described, but that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An improved air-cooled engine of the character described comprising, in combination, an internal combustion engine having a crankcase with a crankshaft therein and a plurality of rows of cylinders each equipped with air-cooling fins, at least one rotatably mounted auxiliary shaft with the axis thereof adjacent and parallel to the axis of said crankshaft, means operably connecting said auxiliary shaft to said crankshaft for drive rotation by the latter, at least one rotatably' mounted blower shaft, operably geared at one end thereof to said auxiliary shaft and extending therefrom upwardly and outwardly between two rows of said rows of cylinders, the axis of said blower shaft being perpendicular to the axes of said crankshaft and said auxiliary shaft, a bladed rotary axial flow suction fan mounted on the other end of said blower shaft for rotation with the latter and in a plane parallel to the axis of said crankshaft, the axis of said suction fan being perpendicular to the axis of said crankshaft, blades of said suction fan consisting of an inner and an outer set of blades, said inner set of blades being for air and extending in close proximity to said air-cooling fins of at least some of said cylinders, said outer set of blades being formed as tips'on said inner set of blades, engine exhaust jets connected to said engine and positioned adjacent said outer set of blades for driving said fan with the aid of exhaust gases from said engine, a set of stationary contra vanes positioned'adjacent and extending across said inner set of fan blades toassure straight line air flow, and a mounted fan shroud member having upper and lower open ends thereof and surrounding said suction fan adjacent outer ends of said outer set of blades thereof for directing fiow of air from said air-cooling fins to said suction fan, said shroud member terminating at said lower open end thereof between said suction fan and said air-cooling fins, said suction fan by operation of saidengine. being :rotatablein .a ,di'. reotionl effecting. the. drawing of.v air. from; across the-.air-cooling fins. ofsaid-cylinders. and thence upwardly andoutwardlythroughsaidnpper; open end of saidfan shroud member.

Animproved .air-cooledengine of the, character described comprising, inv combination, an internal combustion. engine. haying. a. crankcase Witha crankshaft therein and-al lurality ofrows of cylinders each equipped .with. airecooling. fins, at. least one rotataloly mounted auxiliary. shaft with .the axis. thereof. adjacent and parallel. .to theaxis. of said crankshaft, means .operablyconnecting said. auxiliary-shaft tosaidz. crankshaft for-drive rotation. by the latter, at least one rotatably-z mounted blower shaft operablywgearedat oneend thereof to saidauxiliary shaft an-d extending therefrom upwardly and outwardly between tworows of said rnwsofcylinders, theaxis of, said blower shaft being perpendicular to the axes of said crankshaftand said auxiliaryshaft, a bladed rotary axial flow suction fan mounted on the. other end: of said bl'o-wer'shaft for rotation with the. latter and in a plane parallel to the axis of said crankshaftthe axis of said-suctionfan being perpendicular to the axis of said crankshaft, blades of said suction fan extending in closeproximity to said air-cooling fins of at least some of said cylinders, and a mounted fan shroud member having upper-and lower open ends thereof and surrounding said suction fan adjacent the outer ends of said blades thereof for directing flow of air from said air-cooling fins tosaid suction fan, said shroud memberterminating at said lower open end thereof between said suction fan and said air-cooling fins, said suction fanbyoperation of said engine. being rotatable in -a direction effecting the drawing of air from across the air-cooling fins of saidcylinders and thence upwardly and outwardly through said upper open end of said fan shroud member.

3. An improved air-cooled engine of the character described comprising, in combination, an internal combustion engine having a crankcase with a crankshaft therein. and two rows of cylinders each equipped with air-coolingfins, a rotatably mounted auxiliary shaftwi'th the axis thereof adjacent and parallel to. the axis of said crankshaft, means operably connecting said auxiliary shaft to said crankshaft for drive rotation by the latter, a plurality of rotatably mounted blower shafts each operably geared at: one end thereof to saidv auxiliary shaft and extending therefrom upwardly and outwardly between said two rows of cylinders, the axis of'each of' said blower shafts being perpendicular to the axes of. said crank shaft-and said auxiliary-shat, bladed rotary axial flow suction fans each mounted on the other end of a respective one of sa-id-blowershafts for rotation therewith in a plane parallel to the axis: of said crankshaft, the axis of each of, said-suction fans being perpendicular to the axis of said crankshaft, blades of each, of, said suction. fans extending in close proximity to the air-cooling fins of some of said cylinders, and a plurality of mounted fan shroud members each, having upper and lower open ends thereof and each surrounding a respective one of said suction fans adjacent the outer ends of said blades thereof for directing' flow of air from the air-cooling fins of said cylinders to said suction fans, each of said shroud members terminating at said lower open end thereof between the respective one of said suction fans and said air-cooled fins,said suction fans, by operation of said engine being simultancnusly rotatable. in...a. direction elfectingthe drawingof. air from; across, the air-cooling fins of said cylinders, andthzence. upwardly and outwardly through said upper 'open ends of said shroud members.

4,, Theimproved air-cooled, engine incombination. asset forth in claim 3;, wherein the; blades olfileach of, said suctionvfans consist, of an inner set. of. blades for air and an outer set of blades asgtips on; said. inner setv of. blades, said; combination.inc1udingengine exhaust le s n t d tosaidengine andpositioned adjacent said outer set of. blades of each of said suction fans for driving the. latter turbine-fashion with, the aid of exhaust gases. from said engine,

Theimproyed air-cooled, engine in combination. as; set. forth in claim. 3, including a set of stationary contra. vanesapositioned adjacent and extending. across, each. of said suction fans to assurestraightlinejair:fiow.

6... An. improved air-cooled V-type, multi-cylinr der engine of the character described comprising, in combination, an internal combustion engine having acrankcase with a crankshafttherein and two. rowsof cylinders. in V-formation, each of said cylindersv being equipped with air-cooling fins, a rotatably mounted auxiliary shaft with the axis thereof above, adjacent and parallel to. the axis of. said crankshaft, gearing operably connecting said auxiliary shaft. to said crankshaft for drive rotation by the latter, .a rotatably mounted blower shaft operably' geared at one. end. thereof to said auxiliary shaft and extending vertically upward therefrom between. said two rows. of cylinders in said V-formation, the axis of. said. blower shaft being perpendicular to.-the axes. of said crank,- shaft and said auxiliary shaft, a bladed rotary axial flow suction. fan. mounted on the other end of said blower shaft; for rotation therewith in aplane parallel, to the axis of said crankshaft, the axis. of said, suction fan being perpendicular to the axis, of said crankshaft, blades of said suction fan being adjacent the tops and, air-cooling fins on inner sides, of said cylinders of said two rows thereof in said V-formation, and a mounted fanv shroud member having upper and lower open ends thereof, and surrounding said suction fan 7 adjacent theouter ends of said blades thereof for directing flow of air from said air-cooling fins; to said suction fan, said. shroud member terminating at said lower open end thereof between said suction fan. and the air-cooling fins nearest the tops of said cylinders of both of said two rows thereof, said suction fan by operation of said engine being rotatable in a direction effecting' the drawing of air'frozn across the air-cooling fins. of saidv cylinders: and thence upwardly and outwardly through said upper open end of said shroud member.

7;, An improved air-cooled V-type multi-cylinvder engine of the characterdescribed comprising, in combination, an internal combustion engine having acrankcase with acrankshaft therein and two rows of cylinders in V-formation, each of said cylinders: being: equipped with air-cooling fins, a rotatably mounted auxiliary shaft with the axis thereof above, adjacent, and parallel to the axis of said crankshaft, gearing operably connecting said auxiliary shaft to said crankshaft for drive rotation by the latter, a plurality of rotatably mounted blower shafts each operably geared'at one end thereof to said auxiliary shaft and extending vertically upward therefrom between said two rows of cylinders in said V'-formation, theraxeszof' saidlblower shafts being perpendicular tion fans each mounted on the other end of a respective one of said blower shafts for rotation therewith in a plane parallel to'the axis of said crankshaft, the axes of-said suction fans being perpendicular to the axis of said crankshaft, blades of said suction fans being adjacent the tops and air-cooling fins on inner sides of respective nearest ones of said cylinders of said two rows thereof in said V-formation, and a plurality of mounted fan shroud members having upper and lower open ends thereof and surrounding respective ones of said suction fans adjacent the outer ends of said blades thereof for directing flow of air from said air-cooling fins to respective ones of said suction fans, said shroud members terminating at said lower open ends thereof adjacent air-cooling fins nearest the tops of cylinders of both of said two rows thereof, said suction fans by operation of said engine being simultaneously rotatable in a direction effecting the zontally opposite, each of said cylinders being equipped with air-cooling fins, a pair of rotatably mounted auxiliary shafts each adjacent a respective one of said two rows of cylinders, the axes of said auxiliary shafts being parallel to the axis of said crankshaft, gearing operably connecting said auxiliary shafts to said crankshaft for drive rotation by the latter, a pair of rotatably mounted blower shafts each operably geared at one end thereof to a respective one of said auxiliary shafts and extending upwardly and outwardly therefrom, the axis of each of said blower shafts being perpendicular to the axis of the respective auxiliary shaft, a pair of bladed rotary axial fiow suction fans each mounted on the other end of a respective one of said blower shafts for rotation therewith in a plane parallel to the axis of said crankshaft, the axes of said suction fans being perpendicular to the axis of said crankshaft, blades of each of said suction fans being adjacent said air-cooling fins of cylinders of a respective one of said two rows thereof, and a pair of mounted fan shroud members having upper and lower open ends thereof, each of said shroud members surrounding a respective one of said suction fans adjacent outer ends of the blades thereof, said shroud members terminating at said lower open ends thereof above and adjacent 'aircooling fins of cylinders of respective ones of said two rows thereof, said suction fans by operation of said engine being simultaneously rotatable in a direction effecting the drawing of air from across the air-cooling fins of cylinders of respective ones of said two rows thereof and thence upwardly and outwardly through said upper open ends of respective ones of said shroud members.

9. An improved air-cooled horizontally opposed multi-cylinder engine of the character described comprising, in combination, an internal combustion engine having a crankcase with a crankshaft therein and two rows of cylinders arranged horizontally opposite, each of said cylinders being equipped with air-cooling fins, a rotatably mounted auxiliary shaft with the axis. thereof above and parallel to said crankshaft and equidistant from both of said two rows of cylinders, gearing operably connecting said auxiliary shaft to said crankshaft for drive rotation by the latter, a rotatably mounted blower shaft operably geared at one end thereof to said auxiliary shaft for rotation by the latter, the axis of said blower shaft being perpendicular to the axes of said cylinders, crankshaft and auxiliary shaft, a bladed rotary axial fiow suction fan mounted on the other end of said blower shaft for rotation therewith in a plane parallel to the axis of said crankshaft, the axis of said suction fan being perpendicular to the axis of said crankshaft blades of said suction fan being adjacent aircooling fins of cylinders of both of said two rows thereof, and a mounted fan shroud member hav: ing upper and lower open ends thereof, said shroud member surrounding said suction fan adjacent outer ends of the blades thereof for directing flow of air from said air-cooling fins of said cylinders to said suction fan, said shroud member terminating at said lower open end thereof above and adjacent air-cooling fins of cylinders of both of said two rows thereof, said suction fan by operation of said engine being rotatable in a direction effecting the drawing of air from across the air-cooling fins of said cylinders and thence upwardly and outwardly through said upper open end of said shroud member.

10. An improved air-cooled X-type multicylinder engine of the character described comprising, in combination, an internal combustion engine having a crankcase with a crankshaft therein and four rows of cylindersr'arranged in X-formation, each of said cylinders being equipped with air-cooling fins, two rotatably mounted auxiliary shafts with the axes thereof adjacent and parallel to the axis of said crankshaft, said auxiliary shafts being mounted on respective opposite sides of said crankshaft and within respective opposite angles each formed by two of said four rows of cylinders in X-formation, said auxiliary shafts being operably geared to said crankshaft for drive rotation by the latter, two rotatably mounted blower shafts each geared at one end thereof to a respective one of said auxiliary shafts for rotation by the latter, the axes of said blower shafts being perpendicular to respective ones of said auxiliary shafts, said blower shafts extending outwardly from said auxiliary shafts and within respective ones of said opposite angles each formed by two of said four rows of cylinders in X-formation, two bladed rotary axial flow suction fans each mounted on the other end of a respective one of said blower shafts for rotation therewith in a plane parallel to the axis of said crankshaft, the axes of said suction fans being perpendicular to the axis of said crankshaft, blades of each of said suction fans being adjacent air-cooling fins of two of said four rows of cylinders, and two fan shroud members having inner and outer open ends thereof, said shroud members surrounding respective ones of said suction, fans adjacent outer ends of the blades thereof for directing fiow of air from said aircooling fins of said cylinders to respective ones of said suction fans, each of said shroud members terminating inwardly at said inner open end thereof adjacent air-cooling fins of said cylinders of a respective two of said four rows thereof, said suction fans by operation of said engine being rotatable in a direction effecting the drawing of air from across the air-cooling fins of said cylinders and thence outwardly through said outer 7 Number open ends of said shroud members. 1,045,061 JOSEPH M. COLBY. 1,130,444 1,263,336 REFERENCES CITED 5 1,279,128 The following references are of record in the 2:274743 file of this patent:

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